Self-propelled vehicle.



' PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

H. HILL. SELF PROP ELLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.20, 1905.

M1736??? Hugh @671 rirrnn snares hernias HUGH HILL, F ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HILL STANDARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPO- RATION 0F INDIANA.

Specification Letters Patent.

Patented net. 27, 1906.

Applicati n fil lrl'arch 20, 1905. serial 110. 251,045.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HUGH HILL, a citizen of the United States, residin at Anderson, in the county of Madison and tate of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Self-Propelled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.-

My invention relates to childrens carts, and particularly to those propelled by the hands of the rider while sitting upon the cart.

My invention consists in mechanism for such a cart which can be very easily and cheaply made and erected, which is efficient in operation, and not readily liable to get out of order.

It consists particularly in a novel form of means for giving rigidity to the gearing of the driving mechanism and in other details, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The drawings illustrate the preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 bein a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view, of t e same. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of one of the posts-for supporting the seat.

Again referring to Fig. 1, we see the ion itudinal 'rders 11 of the main frameof t e cart having secured to its rear portion bearings 12, in which the driven shaft 13 is journaled, and having secured to their forward ends the bolster 14', which will hereinafter be more fully described in detail. 1 The castings for this bolster 14 and" the) bearings 12, together with the longitudinal members or girders 11,form the main frame b1" the cart, the bearings 12 being connected/together by the U-shaped connecting member 16.

Rising from one bearing 12 are two diagonal struts 17'on opposite sides of oneof the longitudinal members 11, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper ends of these struts 17 meeting and joining with a bearing 18, adapted to be secured to the top of the ion itudmal member 11 by the bolt 19. In this hearing 18 is journaled a short shaft 21, carrying upon one end a large gear-wheel 22. This gear-wheel 22 meshes in a pinion 23, rigidly secured by a pin 24 or other suitable means to the shaft 13 between the bearings 12 and inside the U- shaped casting 16, heretofore described. By this construction, just described, the connection of the bearingslQ and 18, both with reference to each other-and to the frame of the part, is made very rigid, thereby insuring smooth running of the gears.

On the outer ends of the driving-axle 13 are traction-wheels 2? and The wheel 27 is secured to the shaft 13 byinenns of clawshaped clips 29, as more fully appears in my divisional a'plication, Serial No. 273,044, filed by me ugust 7, 1905.

Pivoted to the main frame of the cart at 40, somewhere near the front of the cart, is an upright hand-leverll, having crossbardles 42, adapted to be grasped by the -rider when seated upon the cart. This lever 41 is connected with the gear-wheel :22, heretofore described, by a connecting-rod 44, secured to the lever 41 by the pivot-bolt 4F and secured to, the wheel on the crenk pin 4'17, so that moving the lever 41 backward and forward will cause the wheel 22 to rotate and eouuuunicate power throu 'h the pinion 23 to the shaft 13 and thence to t is driving-wheel 27, thereby propelling the cart.

In order to allow the cart to turn corners, it is desirable that the two rear Wheels should not be both rigidly secured to the shaft 13, and l accordingly loosely journal the wheel 28 upon this shaft. Accordingly no power is communicated from the lever 41 to this wheel 28 to propel the cart.

I provide a seat 50, so that one or more chil ren can ride upon the cart. 'lhis seat is usuall made of plain wood reinforced by crosscarers 51 and is mounted upon four osts 53-, resting upon the longitudinal memliers 11. These posts, pillars, or columns 53 are of peculiarconstruction in that instead of having a hole made througlmut their entire length to receive the bolts to be hora-bu after described they have, as shown in Fig.3,

umn 53 from its position in a cart, should it be desired to do so for any cause, without its being necessary to entirely remove the bolt 56 from its pos'tion. All that has to be done to effect this removal is to loosen the nut or other fastening device upon the bolt 56 and move the column or post 53 sidewise out of contact with the bolt 56 and out from between the longitudinal meinber'll and seat 50. In order to properly limit the arc of rotation of the front axle of the cart about the kingpin 60, I provide a bolster 14, hereto' fore referred to, having a U-shaped form, as shown. Through the bottom of this U- shaped bolster, is placed the king-bolt 60, hav; ing loosely journaled upon it the front axle 62, carrying at its opposite ends the front wheel 63, as may more fully appear in detail in my divisional application, Serial No. 273,045, filed August 7, 1905.

In the operation of the device the child propelling the cart sits upon the seat 50 with his feet upon the axle 62 and guides the cart by turning the axle with his feet about the king pin or bolt 60. grasps cross-handles 42 and moves the lever 41 backward and forward between his knees to propel the cart in the manner heretofore described.

I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to exact detailsof construction, which may be varied within reasonable limits with out departing from my invention Having thus described my invention, what He at the same time I claim as new, and desire to secure byLet'ters Patent, is

1. ha childs cart,the combination of a longitudinal girder or frame member 11 a bearmg for the drwmg-axle secured upon the un der side of said girder, a pinion mounted on the driving-axle in said bearing, another bearing for a sup lemental gear-wheel'niounted above the girdb mentionedbcaring, a gear journaled in said bearing meshing with the pinion, and struts 1'7 rigidly connecting the two bearings to insure accurate centering of the gear and pinion, substantially as described.

2. In a childs cart the combination of a longitudinal girder or frame member, a bearing for the driving-axle secured upon one side of said girder, a inion mounted on the driving-axle in said earing, another bearing for a supplemental gear wheel mounted upon the opposite side of said girder and adjacent to the first-mentioned bea ing, a gear journaled in said bearing meshing with the pinion, and a strut rigidly connecting the two hearings to insure accurate centering of the gear and pinion.

r, and adjacent to the first- In witness whereof Ihave hereunto sub scribed my name in the presence of two wit- II ESSQS.

HUGH I-HLL. 

